Lighter



Nov.'10, 1931. B. s. FRANKLIN 1,830,968

LIGHTER Filed Jan. 25. 1929 BERNARD S. FRANKLIN l Patented Nov. 1o, 1931UNITED STATI-:s PATENT o1-"Fics y 'BERNARD s. FRANKLIN, or Naw vom; N.Y.

mama" Application nled January 25, 1929. Serial No. 334,879.

This invention relates to li hters, and more particularly to a method anmeans for fueling flint-spark lighters.

A popular type of pocket and table lighter,

I for smokers, is a lighter havinga fuel resery voir, referablycontaining a sorbent material or holding benzine', gasoline, alcohol, orother volatile fuel, a wick projecting out of the reservoir, and alint-sparking mechanism for igniting the wick. Such a lighter isrefueled b inverting it, removing a screw plug from its bottom, andtransferring a quantity of fuel through the resulting opening by meansof a medicine ydropper or similar device. To lessen this diilicultyspecial cans of fuel have been marketed, designed somewhat like an oilcan, but these add greatly to the expense of the fuel, and are notnearly so commonly available as are the more 2 usual fuels.

In copendingjoint applications of Jerome B. Stern and the presentapplicant, Serial Numbers 334,877, and 334,87 8, filed concurrentlyherewith, there are described self filling lighters arranged tosuck'fuel upwards from' an open bod)7 of fuel by first reducing andthereafter increasing the effective internal volume of the lighter. Apreliminary reduction in volume is needed to permit of the 3 desiredexpansion'for filling. A final reduction in volume is desirable todischarge excess fuel above saturation, but this must be followed by anexpansion in order to restore the lighter to its normal volume. y

One object of my invention is to eliminate the foregoing wastedmovements, and to provide a method for saturatin the absorbent fuelholding material in a lig ter, and to discharge an excess fuel, withonly two movements. ltyy method includes connectin the lighter with anopen body of the fue, ex-

anding the effective internal volume ofthe ighter above its normalvolume in order to suck fuel into contact with the absorbent material,and restoring the initial volume of the lighter to discharge excessfuel. If necessary the foregoing operation may be repeated until theabsorbent material is fully saturated, the final contraction to theinitial and normal volume serving to discharge the excess fuel.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple andinconspicuous pumping means havin a maximum displacement for a minimum ospace, and to this end I providea cylinder 'occupyin and, in fact,constitut- 55 ing one entire side of.J the lighter. The cylinder is incommunication with the fuelreservoir and a piston is reciprocated in thecylinder in order to pump fuel into the reservoir.

'The cylinder and iston may be arranged to 60 first reduce, and tereafter restore, the volurne of the lighter, and thereby suck fuel intothe lighter, but I consider it preferable, for

, reasons already suggested, to first increase and thereafter restorethe initial volume of y the lighter, thereby insuring that any excess offuel above saturation is discharged.

- As is described in the joint applications already referred to, inorder to connect the lighter with a body of fuel a suction pipe isprovided, and to permit this to be placed out of the way when not in useit is pivoted to the lighter body Aand. provided with resilient meansfor causing it to position itself either substantially parallel to thelighter, or sub- 'Il stantially perpendicular thereto. To prevent freeevaporation of thev fuel,means are provided for closing an end of thepipe when 1t is in the parallel position. To prevent fuel from enteringthe pum c linder, the points of connection of the cy in er and of thesuction pi e with the reservoir are placed so far apart t at fuel doesnot rise in the reservoir tio a level sufficiently high'to enter tliecylin- My invention is further described in the following specification2which is accompanied by drawingsin which Figure 1 is av artiallysectioned elevation through one fbrm of lighter embodying my invention;Figure i 2 is a partially sectioned elevation through a preferredmodification.; and Figures 3 and 4 are details of the arrangement shownin Fi re 2.

gferringto Figure 1 it will be seen that 95 there is a lighter having .aconventional sparking'mechanism, but which is provided with al cylinder2, forming one of the rounded sides of the lighter body, and a slightlyrecessed bottom 4, concealing a suction pipde 6. 7

saryrotational movement of the suction pipe 6.

The cylinder 2 carries a piston made up of several laminations ofyieldable material 20,

supported between washers 22, clamped together by the nuts 24. rlhepiston is actuated, through a piston rod 26, by a knob 28,

the rod 26 being guided by and closely fitting a bushing 30.

There is a passage 32 between the cylinder 2 andthe fuel reservoir, andan opening 34 leading to free atmosphere.

To fill the lighter it is merely necessary to drop the suction pipe 6,raise the handle 28,l

immerse the pipe in fuel, and depress the handle. The resulting suctiondraws a quantity of fuel into the fuel reservoir, where it contacts withand saturates the absorbent material 80. y

A copending application of Albert M. Franklin, Serial Number 334,880,filed concurrently herewith, discloses the idea of dispensing with aseparate suction pipe by making the wick cap arm act also as a suctionpipe. Such a modification is shown in Figure2, in which the wick cap arm50 is tubular, andis fixed to a square member 52, which engages aresilient spring 54, and -is threaded to a-V ipe elbow 56, incommunication with the el reservoir. These connections are shown ingreater detail in Figure 3, a fragmentary plan view, and Fi mentarysectional elevation, which are self explanatory, like referencenumeralsbeing ap licable.

the arrangement shown vin Figure 2 a slightly different pump action hasbeen shown, embodying a further feature ofmy invention. In this casecommunication with the reservoir is made from the closed end of thecylinder, that is, the end of the cylinder away from the piston rod, andthe resulting point of communication is separated from the point ofconnection of the suction pipe 50 with the fuel reservoir, in order toprevent fuel from entering the cylinder, by means of a pipe 60. This hasbeen shown as situated on the center line of the lighter, in order tosimplify .the drawing, but Iactually will be fitted in one of therecesses formed bg the Junction of the sides of thel lighter wit thecylinder 2.

The` piston rod is loosely riveted at 66 to permit otation of a knurledscrew plug 62, thread into the cylinder 2. The piston stop and pistonrod guide 64 is` in this case given a gure 4, a frag-- assunse veryloose t, for atmospheric access. The piston itself 1s like that shown inFigure 1 except that one washer, 68, is threaded and re laces one of thenuts 24.

operation it is merely necessary tolift the wick cap arm 50, invert thelighter, immerse the end of the wick cap arm in the fuel,- unscrew orrelease the handle 62, and

then raise the handle andpiston. This draws fuel directly into the fuelreservoir, and into contact with the absorbent material 80. After aslight delay the iston ma be low ered, dischar `ng excess uel, and t eoperation ordinarily is complete, owin to the large displacement ofthepump. owever, if no excess fuel is discharged the operation may berepeated until full 'saturation is obtained.

The pump mechanism shown in Figure 2 has the advantages of not requirina tight seal between the piston rod and its ushing, and of permittinggreater total dis lacement. Either pump system may be emp oyed witheither form of lighter shown.

In either lighter the customary manual filling plug 16 is provided, inorder to rmit the wick and absorbent material to inserted in thelighter, and to carry spare I prefer to dispense with suction anddischarge valves, even though they would make it possible to use a verysmall cylinder, because with present lighters it is not desirable tohave free liquid in the fuel reservoir, owing to leaks. In the presentscheme the absorptive property of the absorbent material 'ves thedesired valve action, mere saturation bein desired, for the operationmay be repeate ,if necessary, until full saturation is reached, andexcess fuel is discharged.

I claim:

, 1. The combination with a lighterv of a suction pipe of substantiallength movabl attached thereto so that it may be move between anoperative position projecting from the reservoir and an inoperativeositlon not rejecting from'the reservoir` or connectlng the lighter withan o n body of the fuel, and means to expand t e effective internalvolume of the lig ter above its normal value ibo in order to suck fuelthrough the pipe into it or to restore the initial volume to discharge iany excess fuel. v p 3. A lighter having a fuel reservoir, a

1,sso,ees

pump comprising a relatively movable cylinder and piston for pumpingfuel upwards into the lighter, manually operable means for actuating thepump, and means -to prevent fuel from entering the pump.

4. A lighter comprising a fuel reservoir, a cylinder in communicationtherewith, a reciprocable piston in the cylinder, means to` reciprocatethe piston in order to pump fuel into the reservoir, and means toprevent fuel from entering the cylinder.

5. A lighter comprising a fuel reservoir, a suction pipe connectedthereto, a cylinder also `in communication therewith, a reciprocablepiston in the cylinder, and means to reciprocate the piston in order toincrease the effective internal volume of the reservoir to suck fuelthrough the pipe into the reservoir, the points of connection of thecylinder and of the pipe with the reservoir being so spaced that fueldoes not enter the cylinder.

6. A lighter comprising a fuel reservoir, a suction pipe pivoted theretoand in communication therewith, resilient means for causing said pipe toposition itself either substantially parallel to the lighter or substanvtially perpendicular thereto, means for closing an end of the pipe whenit is in the parallel position, a cylinder in communication with thefuel reservoir, a reciprocable piston in the cylinder, and means toreciprocate thevl piston in ordertol increase the effective in ternalvolume of the reservoir to suck fuel through the pipe into thereservoir.

v7. A lighter comprising al fuel reservoir containing absorbent fuelholding material, a suction pipe connected thereto, a cylinder also incommunication therewith, a reciprocable piston in the cylinder, andmeans to reciprocate the piston in order to increase thev effectiveinternal volume of the reservoir to suck fuel through the pipe intocontact with -the absorbent material yto4 saturate it, the points ofconnection of the cylinder and of the pipe with the' reservoir being sospaced that fuel does not enter the cylinder.

BERNARD S. FRANKLIN.

